You could be forgiven for thinking that Garmin may not be on the best of terms with Google and Android after the announcement of Google Maps Navigation but it seems they may actually be thinking “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”.

The slide above is from Garmin’s Q3 2009 Earnings Call Webcast and clearly shows that the nüvifone family will be extended to Android in 2010. Of course, no further details are given but it seems Android can expect two new turn-by-turn applications, the more the merrier.

Mik

Everybody knows Adobe Photoshop for PC and Mac but now there is a mobile version for you Android phone with “Photoshop.com Mobile App“.

You’ll be able to edit and tweak pictures…in fact I’ll let Adobe explain:

Perfect your pictures with the Photoshop.com Mobile App on your Android phone. Simply drag your finger to crop, adjust color, apply effects—you name it.

• Crop, rotate, and color-correct with the touch of a finger.
• Add soft focus or change to black & white with a click.
• Go classic by adding a sepia tint.
• Intuitive Photo Browser for viewing local and online images.

When your image is perfect, make it your phone background.

Once you’ve created a Photoshop.com account you’ll also be able to upload your photos and store them online. This is great to see on Android as well as the iPhone and a sure sign of the recognition that the platform is gaining. The Adobe site states that the app is available now on the Android Market but I found nothing when following their QR Code so I assume it’s location dependent at the moment i.e. U.S. only.

Here’s a tutorial video from Adobe to show you more:

Cheers,

Mik

This is a cube based navigation system, perhaps reminiscent of the Linux cube, but I’ll let you see that for yourself…here’s the vid:

Cheers,

Mik

The Android Developer Challenge 2 has now entered the second round so download or update the ADC2 app on your Android phone for your chance to vote.

There are 20 applications in 10 categories now competing for the honours and the prize money is quite impressive!

Categories:

• Education/Reference
• Games: Casual/Puzzle
• Games: Arcade/Action
• Social Networking
• Lifestyle
• Productivity/Tools
• Media
• Entertainment
• Travel
• Misc

Awards:

For each category:

• 1st prize: $100,000
• 2nd prize: $50,000
• 3rd prize: $25,000

Overall:

• 1st prize: $150,000 (meaning the overall winner will receive $250,000)
• 2nd prize: $50,000 (meaning the 2nd prize winner will receive up to $150,000)
• 3rd prize: $25,000 (meaning the 3rd prize winner will receive up to $125,000)

The final judging and announcement of winner is expected to be later this month.

Sumit Malhotra, Global marketing manager for Xperia X10, has answered some questions about the device on the Sony Ericsson Product Blog.

Here’s what he had to say:

One of the benefits of using an open operating system is that we can tailor your phone to your specific needs. As an example, there is not a document editor preloaded, but there are and will be free and premium applications available in the application store.

Now to your questions. I haven’t been able to answer all of them at this point but have tried my best to get to as many as possible.

* Will it have multi-touch in future updates?
Xperia X10 has a capacitive screen. It does not support multi-touch functionality at launch, but is considered for the future.

* What’s a scratch-resistant screen?
Xperia X10 has mineral glass to prevent easy scratching and fingerprint coating.

* Is it based on OpenGL 1.1 or 2.0 for games and other stuff?
Xperia X10 supports Open GL 2.0.

* What is the size of the battery?
It is 1500mAh.

* How many colors does the screen support?
I noticed the confusion in the communction around this topic, but the correct number is 65,536.

* Will the X10 receive Android 2.0 update (for those who bought from the initial batches with Android 1.6) ?
The UX platform used for Xperia X10 will evolve to Android 2.0 over time.

* What would be the camera like?
We’ll try to post a tutorial video of the camera interface within short, but in short it’s quite similar to what’s seen in our earlier touch screen phones like Satio, X2, and Aino.

* When will this be available in the UK?
X10 will be available in selected markets during Q1 next year. We will get back with more details as to more exact timing and where.

So there you go, confirmation that an upgrade to Android 2.0 will come and that the device will support multi-touch when it does.

Cheers,

Mik

We can only hope that the final versions will run as smooth as silk like the concept videos promise.

Head over to GSMArena to see their full X10 preview .

Mik

Now that the X10 announcement is behind us, the focus is back on the upcoming Sony Ericsson ‘Kurara’, Satio’s little sister.  The ‘Kurara’ will be launched under the Entertainment Unlimited banner and will be based on the Symbian S60 platform. According to rumors, the device will sport a 3.5 inch AMOLED touchscreen, an 8.1 megapixel camera with autofocus and HD-recording.

In all probability, the ‘Kurara’ will be launched at MWC next year and should be available in H1 2010.

Via: SEMC Blog

[SlashGear via Gizmodo]

Still the biggest question on everyone’s minds though is whether Sony Ericsson will be able to get the X10 out in January or whether they will slip back into the old habit of a long delay.

[via Engadget]

[via SE-Blog.com]

Cheers,

Mik

We all knew it was coming but it’s great to finally have it officially announced with confirmed specs, release date and name for that matter. Sony Ericsson’s first Android offering, the Xperia X10 with 1GHz Snapdragon.

From the Press Release:

XPERIA™ X10 is the flagship phone in a family of phones coming to market during the first half of 2010. The XPERIA™ X10 will be available in Q1 2010.
New UX (user experience) platform lets consumers organise everything and discover more with the most open, human and intuitive user experience yet.

London – November 3 2009 – Sony Ericsson today unveils the XPERIA™ X10, the first phone in a family of phones to deliver a consistent user experience where communication truly becomes entertainment. Building on Sony Ericsson’s entertainment heritage and combining rich graphics with intelligence capabilities, the XPERIA™ X10 introduces a new UX platform that will evolve across the product portfolio and expand over time continuously introducing new features and capabilities.

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA™ X10 at a glance:

Facts:
Size: 119 x 63 x 13 mm
Weight: 135 grams
Phone memory: Up to 1 GB
Memory card support: microSD™
Memory card included: 8 GB
Operating system: Google™ Android Donut, version 1.6
Processor: 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon™ QSD8250

Screen:
262,144 colour TFT touchscreen
4.0 inches
480 x 854 pixels (WVGA)
Scratch-resistant

Availability and versions:
Networks
UMTS HSPA 900/1700/2100
GSM GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
UMTS HSPA 800/1900/2100
GSM GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
Available in selected markets in Q1 2010

Colour:
Sensuous Black
Luster White

Camera:
8.1 megapixel camera
Up to 16x digital zoom
Auto focus
Intelligent face recognition features
Geo tagging
Image and video stabilizer
Photo and video light
Send to web (photo and video upload)
Smile detection
Touch focus
Video recording
Recent shot tray

Music:
Album art
Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
Media player
Music tones (MP3/AAC)
PlayNow™
TrackID™

Web:
Bookmarks
Google™ search (from standby)
Web feeds
WebKit web browser

Communication:
Sony Ericsson Timescape™
Speakerphone
Vibrating alert

Messaging:
Conversations
Email
Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync®
Picture messaging (MMS)
Predictive text input
Text messaging (SMS)

Design:
Auto rotate
Gesture control
Picture wallpaper
Touchscreen

Entertainment:
3D games
Media browser
Infinite button
Video streaming
Video viewing
YouTube™

Organiser:
Alarm clock
Calculator
Calendar
Flight mode
Infinite button
Office suite
Phone book with dialer
World clock

Location-based services:
A-GPS
Google Maps™
Wisepilot™ turn-by-turn navigation* (free trial version)
*The service may not be available in every market. For more information, go to www.sonyericsson.wisepilot.com

Connectivity:
3.5 mm audio jack
Bluetooth™ technology
Micro USB connector
Synchronisation
USB support
Wi-Fi™

Preloaded applications:
Sony Ericsson Timescape™
Sony Ericsson Mediascape
Sony Ericsson Home with clock widget
Sony Ericsson Sync
Android Market™ Client
Gmail™
Google Calendar™
Google Maps™ with Street View
Google Media Uploader
Google phone-top search
Google search widget
Google Talk™
Google Voice Search™
Network Location Provider
Set-up Wizard
YouTube™

Accessories:
In-Box:
XPERIA™ X10
Battery
Stereo portable handsfree
8 GB microSD™ card
Micro USB cable for charging, synchronisation and file transfer
User documentation

Optional:
Hi-Fi Wireless Headset with FM Radio MW600
Car Charger AN300
Screen Protector ET902

Yes, the 1GHz Snapdragon is there but the rumored 32GB ROM is only 1GB with an 8GB microSD, though that’s enough for me.

Interestingly the Android version is listed as 1.6 though I’m sure the 2.0 upgrade will be there as soon as it can be. There seems to be plenty of SE customisation too with things like SE Mediascape and Timescape™ as well as the custom UI we’ve already seen so much of. Notice also that the Press Release starts off by saying this is the flagship of a family of phones coming in 2010! Can’t wait to see SE’s other Android babies!

Here’s a couple of videos from SE for you to enjoy:

So start saving, you know you want one! And meanwhile check out the shiny new Product Page

Cheers,

Mik

The Acer Liquid was the first handset we heard of to use the 1GHz Snapdragon processor but it seems adopters won’t actually get the full power of it for their disposal.

French site Revioo.com were able to attend an Acer conference where specs of the Liquid were confirmed, most disappointingly a processor clock speed of 768MHz. Quite why Acer have decided to do this is unclear,my only guess would be to prolong the life of the 1350mAh battery.

Other details are also confirmed such as 256MB RAM, 512MB ROM and Android 1.6 Donut as standard, check out the video for more.

I don’t think SE will have too much to worry about from Acer.